Cody Johnson is nominated for four ACM Awards this year. The father of three is nominated for Male Artist of the Year, Single of the Year and Visual Media of the Year (both for “The Fall”), and the night’s highest honor, Entertainer of the Year.
While Johnson would love to win in any category, he admits he’d really love Entertainer of the Year. He shares the category with Jelly Roll, Megan Moroney, Chris Stapleton, Morgan Wallen, and Lainey Wilson.
“If I had to pick one, it’d be Entertainer,” Johnson says on Amazon Music’s Country Heat Weekly. “That’s 20 years of all the sacrifices, all the miles. Like, that’s the one I’m after. And y’all, I’m a cowboy. That’s the gold buckle. I’m always after the gold buckle.”
Cody Johnson to Release ‘Banks Of The Trinity’ Album
Johnson’s fourth studio album, Banks Of The Trinity, will be out on June 26. The record includes collaborations with both Luke Combs and Brothers Osborne.
“On this album, I wanted to tell the story about my childhood,” Johnson said when the project was announced. “When I heard the song ‘Banks Of The Trinity’ for the first time, it was like this portrait showed in my head of memories that I had honestly forgotten. It just took me back home to Sebastopol, Texas, where I grew up on the Trinity River. I had tears in my eyes when I heard it for the first time.”
Combs joins Johnson on “Shoot The Bull”, a song written by Josh Phillips, Drew Parker, Casey Brown, and Ray Fulcher, specifically for the two to sing together.
“If you take that chance, and an artist is like, ‘I’m not really comfortable with the representation of myself in this song’ or whatever, there goes your song, because you can’t really pitch it to another artist,” Johnson tells Billboard. “But Luke was like, ‘There’s no way we can’t do this song.’ So, it was a done deal. [Lines about] tattooed knuckles, gold plated buckles, and me talking about this wild card band selling out every seat, it literally sounds like me and Luke sitting in a bar, just shooting the bull.”
Why Cody Johson Named His New Album ‘Banks Of The Trinity’
View this post on Instagram
“Banks Of The Trinity” is not only the title track of Johnson’s new record, but the song that drives the entire project.
“When I heard the song ‘Banks Of The Trinity’ for the first time, it was like a portrait flashed in my head of memories I thought I’d forgotten,” Johsnon shares on social media. “It took me straight back home to Sebastopol, Texas, where I grew up on the river.
“That’s why I chose a photo of Lawrence’s Grocery Store for the album cover,” he continues. “As a kid, I used to ride my bike two miles down an old dirt road just to get a cream soda and a Blue Bell ice cream bar. I’d sit there and listen to the old men talk for a while before heading back home with a basket of groceries. This record is my way of going back to those dirt roads. I can’t wait for you to come with me on that journey back.”
Johnson will also perform at the ACM Awards. The ceremony will air live on May 17 at 8:00 PM ET on Amazon Prime.
Photo Credit: Chris Douglas